Country Details
Japan
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
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Geography
Detailed information and insights
Location
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates
36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references
Asia
Area
Total
377,915 sq km
Land
364,485 sq km
Water
13,430 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries
Total
0 km
Coastline
29,751 km
Maritime claims
Territorial sea
12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and the Korea and Tsushima Straits
Contiguous zone
24 nm
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Climate
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation
Highest point
Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Lowest point
Hachiro-gata -4 m
Mean elevation
438 m
Natural resources
negligible mineral resources, fish
Note
note: with virtually no natural energy resources, Japan is almost totally dependent on imported sources of energy
Land use
Agricultural land
12.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.9% (2023 est.)
Forest
68.3% (2023 est.)
Other
19% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land
15,730 sq km (2014)
Major lakes (area sq km)
Fresh water lake(s)
Biwa-ko 688 sq km
Population distribution
all primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)
Natural hazards
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
volcanism: both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama (Honshu Island's most active volcano), Aso, Bandai, Fuji, Iwo-Jima, Kikai, Kirishima, Komaga-take, Oshima, Suwanosejima, Tokachi, Yake-dake, and Usu; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
volcanism: both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama (Honshu Island's most active volcano), Aso, Bandai, Fuji, Iwo-Jima, Kikai, Kirishima, Komaga-take, Oshima, Suwanosejima, Tokachi, Yake-dake, and Usu; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Geography - note
note 1: strategic location in northeast Asia; composed of four main islands (the "Home Islands") -- Hokkaido, Honshu (the largest, most populous, and site of Tokyo, the capital), Shikoku, and Kyushu
note 2: a 2023 Geospatial Information Authority of Japan survey detected 100,000 islands and islets, but only the 14,125 islands with a circumference of at least 100 m (330 ft) were officially counted; about 260 of the islands are inhabited
note 3: Japan annually records the most earthquakes in the world; it is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes
note 2: a 2023 Geospatial Information Authority of Japan survey detected 100,000 islands and islets, but only the 14,125 islands with a circumference of at least 100 m (330 ft) were officially counted; about 260 of the islands are inhabited
note 3: Japan annually records the most earthquakes in the world; it is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes